Vehicle signal device



Aug. 2 1927.

\ 1,637,702 N. w. MATTHEWS VEHICLE SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Jan.14'. 1-924 lll IN V EN TOR.

I BY

ATTORNEY.

tug. 2., 1927.

item2 rice.

NEWTON W. MATTHEWS, or FULLERT'ON, cALrronNIA. y

VEHICLE SIGNAL DEVICE.

Appiicanon sied January 14, i924. serial N9. 686,004.

This invention relates more specilically to a direction signal indicating device for motor driven vehicles.

lAn important object Aoit this invention is to provide a signal device designed tobeconveniently secured `to a motor vehicle and manually operated bythe driver `to give the required signals to the operators or approaching vehicles indicating the direction .in Which the vehicle isy about to turn, or

device for motor vehicles that will be plainly visible when operated to the drivers of vehicles approaching Ijtroin different directions.

A still further object isto provide a device hat is simple in construction, highly etticient in operation, and economical of manufacture.'A

In the accompanying drawings, I lhave ',illustrat-ed and describedfa ypreferred embodimeiitof my invention, it beingy understood, however, that Vno limitation `vis necessarily inade ,to `the lprecise ystructural details therein exhibited, but various changes, alterations, and viDQCliications may ,be resorted tol Within the scope ot nfiy invention when desired. y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofthe signal attached to a part of the vehicle framework. ',Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through ,the device.

Fig. 3 ,is anL enlarged transverse section or' the device'talren on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

, e is a k'detail side elevation of the electric switchingmember.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the disposition of the signal on a vehicle; n

\ The motor vehicle act off the StaiteofCaliornia requires all drivers of motor vehicles to give hand signals, or their equivalent, indicating-'the directions in which the vehicle is about to turn, or when it is about to be brought to a stop. The act further states that the turning and stop signals shall be made in the following manner. Vhen the vehicle is about to turn to the right the driver must raise his arm to a substantially vertical position, when a turn to the left is contemplated to extend the arm in a horikzontal direction, and when the vehicle is brought to a stop to extend the arm downwardly.

By means ot my novel signalling device the above signals may be easily brought into the position desired to indicate the direction in which the turn is about to be made, or when it yis to be brought to a stop, the signal in its operation lclosely resembling the movement made by the drivers arm.

lsteterringy now more specifically to the drawings, 5 designates one part of a switch member formed of cast metal and provided with an attachingarm 4G for securing the switch part in rigid engagement with one of the vertical side rails of they vehicle Wind shield?. "Pivotally secured to the-center of 'switch member insulated part'k 5 is the cooperating part 8 ofthe 'latching member ,that

.is ri gidlysecured to the frame 9 lofthe signal device. Member 871 is provid-ed with acentrally disposed 'aperture 1() in which yis moui'ited an outwardly' projecting rthimble 11 provided with an aperture 12 in its .end Wall for the passagev therethrough 'of an adjusting bolt A13, having a nut on its outer end. Member 5 of the switch is likewise providedwitha hollow cap 14e formed integrally therewith Ain which lthe thiinble lchamberswh'en the parts `5 and 8 are assembledv in operative relation.v A coiled spring 1.5 is mounted on bolt 13 for the purpose of maintaining tlie switch member .5 in a resilient adjustedrelation to the member 8 secured to the signal traine. e

The frame 9 ofthesignaldevice is provided With an operating handle 20 extending within convenient reach of the vehicle driver, and a metal socket 21 is formed on the `end opposite `the operating handle.A Secured in socket 21, in any suitable manner, is an elongated tubular enclosing case 22 provided in each of its side Walls with oppositexly disposed openings 23, here 'shown inthe form i of an arrow, and are' closed'by a sheet of transparent material 24:, ysuch as ,red celluloid. The eXtreme outerl endr ofthe case 22 is provided with a removable conical'closurc cap 25 to provide convenient access to the interior ofthe case when desired. i

Disposed within case 22 is a lamp carrying frame 26, preferably consisting of a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally extending rods 27, 28` their inner ends extending through bores formed in the signal frame. Detachably secured to the cuter ends of lamp l and providedwith nuts is a lamp supporting plate engages, when the light iframe is within the case, the inner surface ot the wall ot the case. Plates 29 and 31 are provided with apertures in which is mounted` a spring-light socket 32 of usual construction, the socket carrying an electric lamp 33. The inner ends of rods 27 and 23 extending through the bores in the signal trame are threaded 35, 3G, and mounted on said rods adjacent the trame is an insulating plate 37, having a metallic plate 38 riveted to its outer tace. Each of plates 37, 38, are provided with centrally disposed apertures tor the reception of a spring lamp socket 39, similar toI the lamp socket mounted on the plates secured on the outer ends of the rods.

Rigidly secured to one side 42 of the frame 9, is a switch contact member 43 that cn gages a plurality of contact points 44, 45, 46, formed on the circular edge of part 5 of the switch member when the signalling device is rotated from oneposition to another to indicate the direction in which the vehicle is about to turn, or when it is brought to a stop, Frame member 9 is provided with a transvcrselv extendingbore by means oil which the slotted head ot bolt 13 may be engaged by a tool the spring 15.

The electrical circuit to the lamp in the signalling device is through line wire 4() that is connected to the vehicle storage battery (not shown), through rod 27, line wire 41 to lamp soclret construction` 32, from thence through plate 31 to the case 22, and from thence to switch contact 43 formed on the signal trame and grounded on the tubular case.` The circuit for lamp socket 39 enters through line 40, rod 27, line wire 46 to lamp socket construction 39, and from thence through plate 38, rod 28, plate 31 and then into the case 22 to complete the circuit.

The operation of my device will be clearly apparent from the following description. W'hen the signal is in its inoperative position itis turned to the position shown in Fig. y

5, and `should the driver desire to make a. left turn he grasps4 the operating handle 2O and rotates the signal until the lug 45 enw gages the contact member 43, this willbring toyregulate the tension ot the signal to a horiyontal position. Should he desire to malle a right turn, the Signal is rotated until contact lug 46 engages the switch contact 43, thus bringing the signal i (itl the signal is rotated downwardly until the contact lug 44 engages the contact switch 43, the signal extending and pointing down-` wardly. The extreme downward position ot the signal as shown in full lines in Fig. 5 illustrates its normal position when not in service.

In order that the driver ofthevehicle may operate the signal and bring the same to thedesired signalling position without watching the turning movementof the de-` vice,hemispherical bosses are provided on the outer face of cooperating member 8 adjacent its peripheral edge, the bosses engaging hemispherical cavities 56 formed in the opn posing face of switch member 5. As the signal is rotated to any one of the desiredpositions, and as soon as the bosses engage the cavities, the driver will at once be apprised of the fact thatthe signal arm is in the proper signalling position.

From the above it will be noted thatl I have provided a signal device that will be plainly visible both night and day to vehicles` approaching from various directions.V

What I claim 1s:

` A. direction indicating signal for vehicles comprising a signal support adapted to be secured to alvehicle, said support including a switch member comprising a disk provided with a plurality ot spacedl contacts and a plurality oi latch elements'on one face thereof in radial `alignment with the contacts, a pivotally mounted signal arm fon said support, a lamp on said arm, a contact on said arm, an insulated latching member carried by said signal arm, said latching member being provided with a plurality of latch clements cooperating with the latch elements on `the switch member when said Contact on the signal arm is in engagement withany one of the contacts on theswitch member.

In witness thatvI claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of December, 1923. y

NEWTON w. Marrnnws, 

